Designer Dino Liu's nomadic lifestyle means he always has a fresh canvas on which to experiment, enabling him to introduce his ideas to a wider audience. Interior designer Dino Liu is never short of ideas. Unfortunately, his clients aren't always able to visualise them. His solution has been to demonstrate them in his home. In the past 10 years Liu has moved house seven times to put his thoughts into practice, gain first-hand experience with designs and show potential customers 'the real thing'. His nomadic lifestyle may be a hassle, but Liu says it is satisfying. 'Unlike other designers, if I have a quirky idea I must execute it and try it myself first,' he says. 'If it looks good and works, I will suggest it to my clients. Some clients can't visualise an idea without seeing the real thing,' says Liu, who runs the furniture shop Natural High in Sai Kung. Liu and his wife found a three-storey house in Tai Po's remote Sha Lin Villa about a year ago. The 2,800 sq ft complex is a visually inspiring retreat with sea and mountain views. Liu decided the main design objective was to ensure the house was in harmony with its natural surroundings. To this end, he used numerous pieces of glass to 'connect' the interior of the house with the outdoor area. A huge sheet was installed in the living room to allow an unobstructed view of the terrace. The upper floors were extended to the end of what was originally their balconies. Glass bi-fold doors ensure the view is not obscured. One idea Liu wanted to try out was combining oriental with western elements. He sourced a plethora of items, including old doors, pig troughs, clocks and furniture from China, Thailand and elsewhere in Asia. Western features include a minimalist kitchen, colonial-style sofas and stained glass mounted on a couple of old Chinese doors to create the feel of a chapel. Some of his ideas were unusual: a square shower cubicle in the bathroom is devoid of a drain hole; instead, water flows away through barely visible gaps along the base of the four walls. The rest of the house is paved with cement, giving it an industrial look. 'I like to experiment with different materials and see how they look. It's hard to sell the idea of a cement floor to clients. I can only do it for myself first and let them see the results,' Liu says. His industry has had the intended effect. Liu says his friends wax lyrical about the house, as have the clients who have visited. One decided to give the cement floor a try. His neighbour, who describes his creation as an 'artistic house', also adopted some of his designs. 'She said she liked it and wanted to copy it. You can hear the renovation going on,' says Liu, above the din of jack hammers coming from next door. 'No problem though. I'm already looking for a new flat because I have new ideas. We've been here for six months already. It's about time to move.' Liu is mindful of revealing information about where he sourced items for the home. 'Giving out too much may work against a designer,' he says. So will he reveal how his next home will look? 'It's a secret for now,' he says, adding, however, 'It'll be minimalist. I want a change.' 1 The terrace is the Lius' favourite place in which to linger over long lunches. The double-seat chair is from Thailand and cost about HK$3,000, including transportation. The table and chairs came from Ikea ( www.ikea.com.hk ; various locations) and cost less than HK$2,000 for the set. 2 The sitting area on the first floor is resort-like in feel. The mattresses were bought in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and the antique clock (about HK$20,000) is from Shanghai. The coffee table was originally a tree trunk Dino Liu found at a waste-recycling site in Zhongshan, Guangdong province. The top was flattened and capped with an oval piece of glass. 3 The 5-metre-high glass 'wall' (about HK$80,000) at the far end of the living room posed the biggest challenge to Liu because of its size. Installation required the help of a dozen workers and added HK$40,000 to the bill. The velvet chairs inside were sourced from Suzhou, Jiangsu province, and are available at Natural High (66 Chan Man Street, Sai Kung, tel: 2791 0777) for HK$7,000 each. 4 The master bathroom is bathed in natural light because it is partitioned not by an opaque wall but by glass. Curtains (unseen) allow privacy if needed. The bathtub cost about HK$40,000 from a shop in Mong Kok. 5 The master bathroom features a mixture of oriental and western elements. The stained glass (HK$8,000), sourced through a work contact of Liu's, was cut to the right size and mounted onto a wooden door imported from the mainland. The antique console was a gift. 6 A wooden arch, which houses a mirror, and its flanking stone pillars are quirky features. The frame (about HK$28,000) was sourced from Indonesia. The pillars are from Guangdong. The two-seat sofa is from Suzhou; copies are sold at Natural High for HK$14,000. 7 Bright, airy and open, the study best epitomises Liu's idea of connecting the house with its environment. The suede sofa (HK$3,000) is from Shambala (2/F, Horizon Plaza, 2 Lee Wing Street, Ap Lei Chau, tel: 2555 2997). The guitar-shaped mirror cost about HK$400 from Dafen Oil Painting Village in Shenzhen. The orange wall comprises 10 pieces of recycled wood from Canada (HK$300 each), which were sourced from a shop in Mong Kok. tried & tested waste not, want not According to Dino Liu, waste-collection sites on the mainland are a treasure trove for stylish homes. Take this trough, a traditional con-tainer for pig feed. Liu happened upon it at a waste-collection point in Suzhou. He turned it into a bath-room sink by drilling a hole in the middle for drainage.
